I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to solicitation media and to systems and methods for presenting offers to customers using such media. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for soliciting customers using solicitation media that comprises computer readable media, such as optical compact disks (CDs), smart cards and other computer readable media.
II. Background and Material Information
Solicitation materials are used by businesses to offer product or services to customers. Traditionally, solicitation materials have been provided in the form of printed materials, such as flyers, letters, booklets, pamphlets and the like. Such materials are often distributed to customers using mass or targeted distribution techniques.
In recent years, other solicitation methods have emerged as a result of the proliferation of electronic networks and communications. For instance, offers may be presented to customers as part of an e-mail or through content on a Web page. When presented in electronic form, a solicitation may include a dynamic link to cause a browser on the customer's computer to load a specific Web page or to display an on-line line form to permit the customer to purchase the offered product or service.
Regardless of the form, solicitations typically include a description of the product or service that is offered, as well as relevant information on how to obtain or purchase the product or service. In certain cases, special offers may be presented to a customer to entice the customer to purchase or obtain the product or service. For example, a discounted price for purchasing a product may be offered to a customer if they respond within a predetermined time period. In other cases, a description of numerous product or service offerings may be provided to permit customers to select the product or service that best suits their needs.
Solicitation materials have been used in a wide range of business areas. One such area is the financial services and banking sectors. Banks, credit card issuers and other financial entities that operate in this space have used solicitations to encourage customers to apply for or acquire financial products and services. For instance, financial entities that issue credit cards have used solicitations to promote their financial products and to encourage customers to submit applications for new credit card accounts and/or related services. Such solicitations usually take the form of printed materials that are directly mailed to individuals. These solicitation materials may include an application or a toll-free number to permit a customer to submit or request a new credit card account. Some financial entities also promote their financial products and services over the Internet using, for example, banner advertisements or other content on a Web page.
Despite these approaches, solicitation methods suffer from one or more drawbacks. For example, many customers do not respond to printed or on-line solicitations due to privacy concerns. For instance, in the case of offers for financial products or services, a customer may be reluctant to provide personal credit or financial information as part of an application form. Moreover, for customers receiving electronic solicitations, privacy concerns related to the Internet and on-line activity often exacerbate the situation. In addition, many customers may conclude that an application process is too complex or time-consuming and, as a result, fail to respond.
Other factors can also contribute to a low response rate, such as the form of the solicitation. For instance, due to the high volume of advertisements and unsolicited mail (also referred to as “junk mail”), conventional solicitation materials sometimes fail to draw sufficient attention. Further, these materials are often ignored or simply disposed of with other junk mail. This scenario is particularly true for busy consumers, who have little or no time to review advertisements and junk mail.
In response, some business entities have attempted to create elaborate or multi-piece solicitation materials that contain colorful or creative inserts. Despite these attempts, however, response rates are always not boosted. Further, some customers may find the more elaborate materials to be too complex or time-consuming to sort through or read. Therefore, in many cases, the extra expense for creating and printing the solicitation materials is not justified.